nixpkgs-search

name	nixpkgs-search
description	Search nixpkgs packages by keyword or regex using nix search. Use this when you need package names, attribute paths, and short descriptions from nixpkgs.

Nixpkgs Search

Use this skill to quickly find packages in nixpkgs.

When to use

• You need to discover package names in nixpkgs.
• You need the attribute path for a package.
• You want machine-readable search output for further filtering.

Prerequisites

• nix is installed and available on PATH.
• Network access is available to resolve the nixpkgs flake source.
• If your Nix config does not already enable it, nix-command and flakes experimental features may be required.

Usage

Run the helper script from anywhere in the repo:

./.pi/skills/nixpkgs-search/search.sh <query>

Examples:

# Human-readable output
./.pi/skills/nixpkgs-search/search.sh ripgrep

# Multi-word query
./.pi/skills/nixpkgs-search/search.sh "postgres client"

# JSON output for tooling
./.pi/skills/nixpkgs-search/search.sh --json ripgrep | jq .

# JSON only (suppress diagnostics from stderr)
./.pi/skills/nixpkgs-search/search.sh --json ripgrep 2>/dev/null | jq .

# Search a specific flake ref instead of default nixpkgs
./.pi/skills/nixpkgs-search/search.sh --flake github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable firefox

Arguments

• --json: return structured JSON output from nix search (stdout remains JSON; nix diagnostics may still be printed on stderr).
• --flake <ref>: override flake reference (default: nixpkgs).
• -h, --help: show usage.

Troubleshooting

If search fails:

1. Confirm Nix is installed:

   nix --version
   

2. Try enabling required features explicitly:

   nix --extra-experimental-features 'nix-command flakes' search nixpkgs <query>
   

3. Check your network and flake access.

Notes for agent usage

• Start with a broad query, then narrow with more specific terms.
• Prefer --json when results need post-processing or deterministic extraction.
• Report both package display name and attribute path when available.